So pay your taxes and quit your whining. Trust me on this, living here is a bargain.

As I clicked submit on my 2015 tax return, I muttered under my breath, just like millions of other Americans: “What a bargain!”

What, that wasn’t your response? Of course not. Complaining about taxes is a national pastime. There are good reasons to complain, after all. Tax rules are arcane and arbitrary, and the steps can be Byzantine. And it’s not always clear what you’re paying for. When you buy a gallon of milk, you bring the jug home. When the IRS takes your money, it goes into limbo.

Moreover, the American public has declared open season on the U.S. government. Anger’s in style. Rage is the new black. This election year, it seems like no candidate dares to identify with the establishment, which is to say the current government. The competition between presidential aspirants seems to focus not on who has the most compelling vision for our country, but who is most fed up with the status quo.

This is what it means to be an iconoclast in 2016: to say I owed the IRS some money, and I paid it with a smile.

Most of us in the USA take it for granted that our government will perform its basic function: protect its people. It’s an admittedly low bar, but countries around the globe default on this basic requirement, from those that cannot control gang violence (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras) to those that have fallen into vicious civil war (Syria, Ukraine, South Sudan) to those where terrorist violence threatens citizens daily (Somalia, Nigeria, Libya). Many of our contemporaries around the world live a dystopian existence (in North Korea, Iran, and areas controlled by the Islamic State group).

But here, most of us don’t question whether we’ll be killed in our sleep by terrorists or warring parties. When President Obama says the Islamic State terrorist group isn’t an existential threat to the U.S., he’s precisely correct. America’s existence — our governmental legitimacy and territorial integrity — isn’t seriously threatened by any nation or group. Admittedly, we might stand vulnerable to terrorist attacks, but only the truly deluded would dare mount a land grab against the U.S.

And that security allows the other good things we expect from our national, state and local governments. Roads that are pretty darn good, for example. Granted, the American Society of Civil Engineers has given harsh scores to them, but they are better than those found in many parts of the world. I count my blessings.

Clean drinking water, as well. According to the World Health Organization, a 10th of the global population lacks it, and a third lacks toilet facilities. The tragedy in Flint, Mich., is one of the exceptions that proves the rule. The reason for the uproar is precisely because Americans demand and expect clean drinking water. It’s a wonderful expectation, but one that’s alien to many in the world.

A justice system that seems to work most of the time. Firefighters and police officers. Watchdog agencies that exist to keep our drugs, food, environment and travel safe. Libraries, parks and schools. Financial safety nets for our elderly. These are only a few of the things we expect our government to deliver.

Is there corruption? Certainly. Ineptitude? Without a doubt. As a recent Army retiree, I’ve seen some of it firsthand. But I’ve also deployed to places a lot worse.

Our country fails in huge ways every day. The mistakes, inconsistencies, injustices and outrages are everywhere you look: police misconduct, infrastructure deterioration, environmental stewardship, incarceration statistics, drug addiction, health care policy, domestic and international intelligence gathering, education ... the list goes on. No matter what the government does or doesn’t do, you can be sure it’s guilty of overreach, inaction or, paradoxically, both.

This election cycle has emphasized a “throw the bums out” dissatisfaction with the U.S. government — but ironically also rests on its foundation. No matter whom we elect president, no one doubts the reins will transfer peacefully on Inauguration Day. That’s far from a sure thing in many parts of the world. Just ask Egypt, Thailand or Mali.

And the idea that our current president’s political opponents might be jailed or killed for their opposition is a wild nightmare here. In Russia, it’s not.

When I talk to those who think their taxes are too high, I sometimes propose a simple thought experiment: “How much would you pay to remain here — to avoid deportation of you, your family and all your assets?” Upon consideration, the amount is usually quite a bit above the tax burden.

Donald Trump urges us to “Make America Great Again!” It’s a nice slogan, as far as slogans go. But anyone who lives here has got to admit that America is really pretty great, given some of the other choices. Even Mr. Trump, who prides himself on recognizing value, would have to agree it’s a bargain at the price.

Michael W. Brough is a taxpayer and writer who was deployed to Iraq twice (in 2005 and 2011) during his 21-year Army career.